Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (
More info?)
In article <0d2211df1tlqci4maubav6akhvgi20ijq9@4ax.com>, robtj-7@iwon.com wrote:
> I want to update the Bios on a CUV4x motherboard and have two
> questions concerning the process:
>
> 1-Should I use Aflash.exe or AWDflash.exe or does it matter which
> utility I use?
>
> 2-According to the instructions on the ASUS site, there should be two
> options after you boot up in DOS and enter the flash utility, the
> second being; Update bios including boot block and escd?
>
> When I enter the utility the second option that I see is; Update
> bios not including boot block and escd?
>
> I'm not sure if this is a problem or error on my part and am not sure
> if I should proceed since a failed upgrade could kill the motherboard.
> Thanks for any help.
This post suggests disabling "byte merge" before attempting to
flash the BIOS. See if your board has a setting like that.
http://groups.google.ca/groups?threadm=396016d0%241%40usenet.per.paradox.net.au
If you want risk free flashing, go to
http://www.badflash.com
and get a new BIOS chip. You can get whatever version of BIOS
you want flashed in the new chip. Simply unplug the old chip
(with power plug pulled) and plug in the new one. Do
"load setup defaults" when the computer first POSTs.
A second risk free option, is a BIOS Savior. This is a device
that plugs into the BIOS socket. It gives you two flash chips.
One chip is the original flash chip, and the other chip is
an empty one. There is a switch mounted on a PCI slot plate,
to switch between the two BIOS. You plug your existing flash
chip into it, then plug the Savior into the BIOS socket.
Set the switch to boot from the original BIOS, insert your
MSDOS boot floppy, boot to DOS, then flip the Savior switch
to point to the blank flash chip. Use the flash program, to
try to flash the new chip. When the flash operation is done,
reset the computer and when it POSTS, do "load setup defaults".
If the BIOS doesn't work, you can try clearing the CMOS, to
see if it helps. If the flash attempt appears to have failed,
recovery is simple - flip the PCI mounted switch back to the
original BIOS, and the computer should POST just like it did
originally. By using the two flash chips, you can upgrade one
chip and test the new BIOS, and always have the second chip to
fall back on.
http://www.ioss.com.tw/web/English/RD1BIOSSavior.html
A BIOS Savior will cost about $25. A chip from badflash.com
might cost $25 or so. Those options should reduce your risk
to zero. If you have a backup computer, in case the flash goes
wrong, then you only have to purchase a replacement from
badflash if the flash fails. In a couple of days, you could
be up and running with the replacement flash chip from badflash.
The best flash tool to use, is whatever came on the motherboard
CD. Aflash221 is on the download page, so it probably works.
If this is actually a Fujitsu-Seimens version of the board,
it might have an OEM BIOS version flashed in it, in which case
the Asus flashing tools might not touch it. In a case like
that, badflash.com looks to be a convenient route to fixing
it.
The best barometer, in terms of flashing problems, is to check
Google, and see what experiences other users have had. You
should also go to the Asus download page, and click the "more"
link, next to each release of the BIOS. Sometimes there
are warning messages in the release notes of the "more" link,
warning about certain flash options not working. Between those
two sources of info, you'll get some idea of how safe your
particular model is to flash upgrade.
As for the "boot block" option, if you don't flash upgrade the
boot block, you have yet another recovery option. You can do
a "boot block" flash, where you prepare a MSDOS boot floppy,
with a one line .ini file containing all the options to the
flash program. For this to work, the flash program cannot be
interactive - the flash program must support a command line
only interface option. The "boot block" contains enough code to
read the floppy disk, but not to init an AGP video card, so
this flash recovery process is "blind". You only know it is
complete, if you hear three beeps a couple of minutes after
the floppy starts to boot. So few people succeed at "boot block"
flash recovery, that I don't honestly think it makes a difference
whether you also reprogram the boot block or not, as even if
you leave the original boot block code, you might not be
able to use it for a recovery option anyway.
HTH,
Paul
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram